Arts & Democracy- Season 1; Episode 1: "How the Arts Can Foster Civic Dialogue"

In our debut episode of Arts & Democracy: A Global Conversation, Olga Levina sits down with museum education professional Thomas Goehner — formerly of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and The Textile Museum — to explore the future of museums in a time of unprecedented political pressure. From his decades shaping educational programs across major cultural institutions to his perspective on the current debates over “whitewashing” history at the Smithsonian, Thomas offers candid insights on why museums matter, what stories must be preserved, and how cultural spaces can remain vital, inclusive, and resilient for generations to come.